Famous Overclocker Installs Meter-Long Pipe on PC Cooling System

Roman Hartung (der8auer), a famous overclocker and YouTuber known for unusual experiments in the world of computer technology, has conducted another fascinating test. According to ixbt.com, he replaced standard fans in a PC cooling system with a special pipe reaching one meter in height, unexpectedly achieving very high efficiency, reports Ixbt.com reports.

This unusual experiment was carried out on a computer built around a modern AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor and a liquid cooling system (AIO). During the experiment, the water pump continued to operate in its usual mode, but all fans mounted on the radiator were completely dismantled.

Natural Convection and the Chimney Effect

Instead of fans, a special modular vertical pipe 3D-printed on a 3D printer was installed on top of the radiator. This engineering solution is based on the physical phenomenon known as the "chimney effect," according to which heated air inside the upper channel becomes lighter and naturally rises upward.

As a result, a low-pressure zone (vacuum) is created at the base of the pipe, which draws cold air through the radiator without any forced ventilation. Initial tests showed that a pipe only 10 centimeters high yielded almost no result — the temperature dropped by a mere 0.5 degrees.

Surprising Results of the Meter-Long Pipe

However, when the pipe height was increased to 30 centimeters, the coolant cooled down by about 5 degrees. The most impressive and unexpected result was recorded during the testing of a structure with a total height of 110 centimeters.

With this giant pipe, the coolant temperature dropped to 50 degrees, and the processor temperature under full load fell from an initial 90 degrees to 71 degrees. This performance demonstrated high efficiency comparable to systems with conventional fans.

To make sure the system was indeed operating via natural convection, der8auer used a special smoke generator. The experiment clearly showed that the airflow is actively drawn through the radiator without forced mechanisms and rushes upward along the pipe. This proved that properly organized airflow can successfully replace traditional fans.